Tito Lopez (rapper) life and biography

Tito Lopez is young rapper from Mississippi.

Lopez's skill as a musician is undeniable, as is the skill of the other, less mysterious members of the band. Drummer Harbans Srih is a pioneer of the acid jazz movement and a regular player on Acid Jazz Records albums, especially as part of the James Taylor Quartet. He has also been featured on less progressive, more ambient jazz albums: As a member of the jazz quartet the Other Side, he released Dangerous Days in 1994. Saxophonist Theo Travis has been featured on dozens of albums and has released several solo works, including Heart of the Sun. The album also features some guest appearances by members of funk/soul/R&B group the Brand New Heavies, as well as some by other artists signed to the Acid Jazz label.

Inspired by pre-teen rappers Kris Kross, Lopez started writing his own raps when he was five. By the time he got to junior high, he had built a small circle of friends. But he was still an outcast in many ways and had developed a Napoleon complex, which led to a string of fights and getting kicked out of school. Yes, he was able to watch BET’s “Rap City” while at home during school hours, but his father put a damper on his rap dreams by telling him that he would not be able to succeed as an artist.

At school, though, Lopez was becoming a celebrity of sorts because of his advanced lyrics and potent flow. Getting a positive reaction from his classmates became an addiction that Lopez chased by making and performing his raps.

Soon thereafter, Lopez turned a laser-sharp focus to his music. He graduated and started recording material in his house. He also visited Miami and Detroit in order to soak up music industry knowledge from some of his contacts.

By the mid-2000s, Lopez was churning out high-quality material and began presenting and posting it to websites. In 2009, his music ended up in the hands of music industry veteran Keith “WOK” Watts, a seasoned executive and manager.

Blown away by Lopez’s skill, fire, attitude and microphone presence, Wok traveled to Mississippi to meet Lopez. Sold instantly on Lopez’s potential, Wok soon coordinated an appearance for Lopez on the coveted Def Jam Cypher.

Hosted by Sha Money XL, Lopez understood the impact his performance could have on his burgeoning rap career. “When we got there, I remember thinking, ‘This is my time to show that this is what I do,’” he says. “‘I rap.’”

Lopez’s masterful verse and commanding performance earned him a standing ovation from the tough-to-impress New York crowd and gave Wok even more confidence in his rising artist.

After drawing interest from Def Jam and other labels, Lopez signed to Capitol Records (via Steve Prudholme) in June 2011. One selling point was that he was going to be a top priority at the label. He started work on his album in September 2011, hitting the studio in Los Angeles in September before traveling to Atlanta in October, where he worked with Dungeon Family, DJ Toomp and Drumma Boy. He then went with Wok to New York to record there.

“Tito Lopez represents people being true to who they are,” says Wok, who has billed Lopez as the Voice of the Underdogs. “Everything you want will come to you if you stay true to who you are.”
Lopez agrees wholeheartedly. And he doesn’t just want to make an impact on music. He wants to leave a legacy.

“I’ve got to be legendary,” Lopez says. “I can’t be here and gone in six months like some of these dudes. I’ve got to be where Em is at, Jay is at. I want to be one of these dudes that makes it for 10-plus years. There’s only a handful of them, so I’ve got to be legendary.”

July 2012 Tito released his hip-hop album titled "The Hunger Games", a tape that offers a solid class of beatsmiths, consisting of The Futuristiks, Sleep Deez of the Academy and more. Each producer does a great job molding beats to suit the venomous lyrical barrage Tito fires off from track to track. Sonically, each beat has a quick tempo and vibrant drums giving cuts energy, which makes the project an easy listen.

He is currently riding the success of single “Mama Proud”, but the new record tells stories of his past experiences and doesn’t allow other artists words to muddle the listeners opportunity to step inside his world. It could become a signature of his name.

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